Libraries have a long history of "defacing" their book-stock
- both externally and internally - with
all manner of covers, plates, inscriptions, stickers, labels, stamps and numbers, sometimes
bringing a tear to the eye of the serious book collector.
Bookplates have the obvious primary purpose of identifying ownership, be it institutional or private, and assisting the borrower to return the item to its rightful place. A secondary use can be to trace the provenance of a book as it moves between collections; through a variety of classification schemes; and from institution to institution.
The Bookplate, or 'Ex Libris', also has interest to collectors, students of design and typography, and to bibliophiles generally.
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In: Henry, Lord Brougham, Political Philosophy, part 1. 3rd
ed.,
London; H.G. Bohn, 1853. Accessioned at Vol. 1, Acc. no. 2160.
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A selection of twenty eight of the bookplates used by the
Launceston Mechanics' Institute between 1842 and 1929 has been added to Flickr.
They illustrate the Victorian/Edwardian's love of elaborate borders, ornate printing, and their propensity to mix as many different type-faces as possible to convey a single message. It is noteworthy how many different designs were created and used by the Institute during its history. Clearly their purpose went beyond a utilitarian proof of ownership, and they were used to demonstrate the pride of the Committee and membership in the prestige of the Institute.
They illustrate the Victorian/Edwardian's love of elaborate borders, ornate printing, and their propensity to mix as many different type-faces as possible to convey a single message. It is noteworthy how many different designs were created and used by the Institute during its history. Clearly their purpose went beyond a utilitarian proof of ownership, and they were used to demonstrate the pride of the Committee and membership in the prestige of the Institute.
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